The End of a New Beginning
by xTasteTheRaInBoWx
Summary: The world has met its end with a world-wide nuclear war. Order is lost, supplies are limited, and for Santana Lopez, meeting Brittany Pierce might be her only light in the darkness that's consumed the world.
1. The End

**So this story is a little abstract, and quite different from any other story I've ever done. I got this idea when I was watching Resident Evil: Extinction recently and collaborated with my new friend, mamatots, who some of you know might know better as the talent behind **_**Her Smile Heals Me**_**! She really helped me whip this idea into shape! So a HUGE hug and a thanks to mamatots! :)**

**Pairing: Brittana**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Summary: The world has met its end with a world-wide nuclear war. Order is lost, supplies are limited, and for Santana Lopez, meeting Brittany Pierce might be her only light in the darkness that's consumed the world.**

**Please leave me a review and tell me what you think!**

…

_Chapter 1 – The End_

"Andre, I'm worried. What do I tell Santana? You've just returned and now you're leaving again. She'll be so heartbroken."

Santana Lopez listened to her mother's voice from the top of the stairs in their home. Tears welled up in her eyes when she heard those words leave her mother's mouth.

"Sweetheart, there's _nothing_ I can do. I have to go and do what I can for my unit. I'll make it back, I promise," her father's deep voice said comfortingly. Santana held in a sob, but it wasn't quiet enough.

"Santana? Honey?" Her mother asked, frightened that her daughter may have heard their conversation.

"Mom…" Santana said through her tears as her mother stood at the bottom of the stairs.

"Honey," Andre began slowly, but it was too late. Santana had already run, sobbing, to her room.

The two parents went up the stairs and Cassandra knocked lightly on the door before turning the knob and entering her daughter's black room. Not black as in dark, but black as in everything in the room was black. Which she now regretted letting Santana do, oddly enough, because all Santana needed right now was light. Now that the world was in turmoil, there wasn't a lot Santana had to live for any more.

Santana lay, face in her pillows, crying, trying to pretend that she hadn't heard their previous discussion. Cassandra sat on the edge of the bed while Andre stood in the doorway, concern etched into his thick brow more than ever now.

"Santana, baby," Cassandra rubbed the middle of the eighteen year-old's back, which shook with sobs. Santana didn't know of a time when she'd ever cried as much as she was crying now. It almost made her miss her crumby, average life at William McKinley High School. She had hated it while she was still there. But once the situation was deemed too unsafe to keep sending kids to school, she kind of missed it.

_- Flashback -_

_"Hey Santana, what song are you singing in Glee club?" Asked an overly peppy voice._

_"Why do you care, dwarf?" Santana asked angrily, filing her nails as they sat in the choir room._

_The tiny brunette just looked down and nodded meekly, "I'm sorry...I just...thought you might be doing something about being who you really are...considering what's been going on lately..."_

_"Listen, Berry, just because I came out doesn't mean that I'm going to run around singing about it," the Latina spat._

_"Okay...well, I'm sorry I asked..." Rachel seemed to have no more words as Santana turned and walked away, wanting to be anywhere but there._

_Little did she know, that would be the last time she saw that small brunette. And whether she knew it then or not, she was going to miss her a lot._

_- End Flashback -_

"Why do you have to go?" Santana asked, her voice muffled by the feather pillows beneath her.

"You know I have to help. It's my duty, mija. I'm the best doctor the military has to offer. They _need_ me," Andre answered tenderly.

"Your father just has to go," Cassandra added, even though she secretly was crying inside for her husband.

Santana finally sat up and stared at her father with wet, puffy eyes. "When?"

Andre sighed and rolled his lips together beneath his mustache, "Tomorrow."

Santana released another wave of sobs and ran to her father's arms, crying into his strong chest and letting his arms encircle her. "Why did the world have to go bad?"

Andre fought his own tears and kissed the top of Santana's head, hugging her as close as possible, "I don't know mija…I don't know."

Santana looked up at him with her dark eyes, tears freely flowing, and asked, "What if you don't make it back?"

This question rang in Andre's head and he found himself getting choked up. He shook off his tears and cupped Santana's face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe her cheeks. "You listen to me, young lady, and you listen clear. I will not go down without a fight, and neither will you, do you understand? We are the Lopez family. Giving up isn't something we do. We fight. And we win. Together, we'll get through this. But you _have_ to trust me when I say that I have a plan."

"I do trust you, Papi…I do," Santana hugged him again, this time Cassandra joining them.

"I love you girls so, so much. Don't _ever _forget that."

Santana had no idea at that moment that _that_ night was the _last_ night she would spend with her parents as a family.

…

After a week, Lima, Ohio was on lockdown. Tanks were rolling in, men in uniform were everywhere, and the civilians were in a panic. Cassandra knew that she had to get herself and Santana to safety. Andre's plan had to come to action. It was a cool morning and a warning to the civilians of Lima had been issued that the city and its surrounding areas was a target zone and that they should evacuate as soon as possible.

"Santana, honey…wake up!" Cassandra woke her daughter in a rush. Santana sleepily awoke and looked up from her pillows.

"Mami, what is it?" Santana asked as she sat up in her bed.

"Listen honey, we have to go. Your father gave me some instructions…_very_ specific instructions. But they will only work if you help me gather our things and get out of here _now_." Cassandra urged Santana to get up and get going.

"But mom!" Santana followed her mother down the stairs, "What should I bring?"

"Get only the essentials. A week's worth of clothes…ones you can move in and ones that are warm, too. After you've packed what you need, come help me fill the car with food. Oh, and we need to get all of our emergency gas canisters from the workshop. The ones that your father said would come in handy some day," Cassandra instructed. All of these things were rushing through Santana's mind as she tried to collect herself enough to pack up and leave her beloved home behind.

…

The two women, with a sad goodbye, left their home and started to head North, but they weren't getting very far, considering that everyone else was trying to escape as well. They finally made it to Cincinnati and that's where things took a turn for the worst.

Planes flew overhead, the skies were grey and dull, sirens rang. Santana tried to drink it all in as she stared out her window. They were passing through the city and blocked up in the chaotic mess of cars and people rushing about, also trying to flee when something popped beneath them and the left side of their car sank a couple of inches.

"What was that?" Santana asked in a panic.

"I don't know," Cassandra replied, looking out all the windows for any sign.

Another pop and the right side of their car sank as well.

"Shit, that was our tires!" Santana cursed. Suddenly, a man shot up beside Santana's window, then one showed op on Cassandra's side. Nobody around even tried to help as the men stared devilishly at the two women from outside the car.

"Well, look what we found!" The man on Santana's side snickered. Santana peered at him with hateful eyes as he taunted her. He didn't waste any time in bringing his crowbar up and smashing her window. Santana cringed as glass rained over her and the man reached into the car to open the door. Santana heard a scream from her mother as the other man did the same on the driver's side and pulled Cassandra from the car.

"Mom!" Santana yelled as she, too, was yanked from the vehicle. The two men pulled them down an alley and into an old building, locking the door behind them. Cassandra struggled against her captor as he forced her down to the basement of the building.

All Santana could think about was the fact that she couldn't do anything against the large thugs. They dragged them to a small room and forced them into chairs, tying their arms behind their backs.

"Oh we're gonna have some fun with you two later!" One of the men grinned devilishly at the pair of them.

"No toque mi hija pedazo inútil de mierda!" Cassandra spat in his direction. He scoffed and brought his hand up to slap the older woman.

"What'd you say to me, bitch?" He slapped her again.

"Keep away from my daughter you worthless piece of _shit_!" Cassandra hissed. The man quickly drew a knife from his pocket and brought it up to the older woman's throat.

"Mom!" Santana cried, trying to jerk free from her restraints.

"Hey," The other man stopped his partner, "boss will deal with them. Just wait." Then he came over to Santana. "Yeah," he kneeled down to meet Santana's eyes, "You're going to be a nice little treat for us." His voice made Santana shiver with terror. "Don't go anywhere now, we'll be back." The two of them walked out and locked the door from the outside behind them.

Santana looked at her mother with fear in her eyes, "Mami…"

"Santana, don't be afraid. Everything will be all right. But no matter what happens, I love you," Cassandra said shakily.

"Don't say that, we're going to make it out of here. We're in this together," Santana shook her head, trying to pull free from the ties that bound her, but she couldn't move. Panic started to rise inside her when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. There was the sound of the door unlocking before a tall, sleazy looking man in a suit stepped in the door, a cigar in his mouth and a grin on his face. The two thugs from earlier followed him.

"_Very_ nice work boys…it's about time we got some quality women around here…not the tramps you've been bringing in," the man hissed with authority. He eyed Santana hungrily and stood in front of her, taking a puff of his cigar and blowing it in the young woman's face. "What's your name, beautiful?"

Santana didn't say anything. She just stared at him with anger and tears in her eyes.

"Not a talker huh? Well, I bet I can make you scream…" He reached out to touch her face and Cassandra spoke out again.

"You stay away from her you sick bastard!" She shouted, sobbing in fear for her child. Santana's eyes widened and she looked at her mother. The man stood up and approached the older woman.

"Oh, is poor mommy worried that she won't get any attention?" He asked tauntingly.

"I don't need attention from _you_," she spat.

"Mom…" Santana whispered.

"If you so much as _think_ about laying a finger on my daughter…So help me I will-,"

"You'll what? Hit me with a frying pan? Send me to timeout?" The man laughed, "You're in my world now. You do as _I_ say…and I might let you live."

"I'd rather die than let you do anything to me or my daughter!" Cassandra didn't back down. Santana feared the worst.

"Is that so?" He chuckled, pulling a gun from his pocket, "Well," he cocked it, Santana shrieked, "As you wish." He looked at Santana.

"Say bye bye to your mommy," he grinned nastily, aiming the gun at Cassandra's head.

"Mom!" Santana cried and thrashed, trying to escape her chair, but she was helpless.

_BANG._

The shot rang in her ears like a bomb had gone off next to her head. She cried as she watched her mother's head fall forward, limp and lifeless. Santana's heart stopped, she couldn't breathe, couldn't speak. She couldn't even think. All she knew was that her world had come to a screeching halt with the pull of a trigger.

"I really hate to have to do that, but I can't have that negativity around. You gotta look at the positives," he slipped his gun back in the holster. Santana cried even harder and looked down, unable to stare at The Man in the face. He turned to his two men, "Cut her free…leave her to sulk until after we eat."

The two thugs moved over and cut her hands free from the chair, she just stayed still and let her arms fall limply at her sides, no will to fight back inside of her. The Man came over and kneeled in front of her, his large hands lifting her chin to look into her dark eyes.

"You're lucky that you're so beautiful," he said quietly, standing back up and moving for the door. "Let's go boys." They left and locked the door to the windowless room behind them. Santana looked over at her mother's corpse and sobbed again. She stood up and moved to kneel by her mother, laying her head in her lap and crying softly. She wrapped her arms around her torso and held her close.

"Why, mami? Why did you have to be so brave for me?" She asked quietly. She stayed like that for a long time before finally looking up at Cassandra's face. She saw her mother's favorite necklace, still fastened securely around her neck, and so she shakily reached up and removed it, placing it around her own neck. She thought for a moment before checking her mother's pockets for any other valuables that she may want. When she reached into the pocket of her jacket she felt a piece of paper. It was a note from her father.

_-Cassie,_

_Very soon things are going to get too dangerous for you and Santana to stay at the house. You will have to move, and when you do, here is where you have to do:  
>Gather all the non-perishable food we have and take the emergency water we have in the garage. Take about a week's worth of clothes, ones you can move in and ones that are warm. The same for Santana. Take all of the full gas cans I keep in the workshop with you as well, then start heading north. A close friend of mine, Lieutenant Pierce, is running a small safe zone in Beirut, Alaska. I know it's far, but you have to go there. Drive for as long as you can. Don't stop unless you have to. I promise it's safe there. When you get there, tell him I sent you and that you are my family. I will try to come as soon as I am done here. Just be strong. Don't let anything happen to Santana. She must be kept safe.<em>

_Love always,  
>Andre-<em>

Santana let the words sit in her mind as she sat on her knees and cried. She folded the letter and moved to the corner of the room where she sat, her knees folded up against her chest, and cried herself until she was asleep.

…

**Chapter one! I'm excited to see your reaction! Brittany will be introduced most likely by Chapter 3, so please have patience and let me know what you think!**


	2. The Regret

**Again, thanks to mamatots for all her great advice and help with this story. I'm having fun brainstorming ideas and writing this! Please leave me a review telling me what you think! Thanks for reading.**

…

_Chapter 2 – The Regret_

Santana didn't know how many days she'd been in captivity, or what time of day it was, because they were underground. She had been moved to another room with a cot and a desk and chair. She woke up from her skewed form of sleep and started to yawn, but winced when a sharp pain spread from her cheek. She brought her hand up to touch the bruise that resided there. Her dulled eyes closed again for a moment before she slowly sat up, pain coursing through every inch of her body. She wanted to stand up, but her legs wouldn't allow her to do so. The pain in her groin was too much. She wanted to cry but she had lost all her tears after her mother had been killed.

She regretted many things now that she was alone in the world. There were so many things she wished she could have told her parents before the world ended and certainly before her mother's murder. She put her face in her hands and breathed slowly.

_- Flashback –_

"_Wanna play some pool?" Asked a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes._

_Santana blushed and looked down. Why was she blushing in front of a girl? "Um, I don't really play much…I'm not too great."_

_The girl shrugged, "I'll help you. C'mon, it'll be fun!"_

"_I don't even know you," Santana laughed. The girl offered her hand._

"_Zoe," the brown-eyed girl smiled warmly, "and you are?"_

"_Santana," the Latina said cautiously, feeling her stomach flutter._

"_So, are we playing or what?" Zoe offered her a pool cue. Santana took the cue and stood off to the side and Zoe set up the balls in their triangular form on one end of the table. When she was done, she looked back to Santana. "Do you want to break?"_

"_I don't think I can…" Santana shook her head with a chuckle._

_Zoe motioned her over to the opposite end of the table where the white cue ball sat. Santana slowly moved to that end and stood at the edge of the table. Zoe set her own cue aside and moved to stand behind Santana's small frame. Santana shivered when the brunette pressed against her._

"_Here, hold the cue like this," Zoe wrapped her arms around Santana and positioned her hands properly. "And make sure you stay low…so you have a good line to the tip of the triangle," Zoe said into her ear._

_Santana couldn't focus on what Zoe was saying, she only knew that Zoe was whispering in her ear. What was she doing? "Like this?" _

"_Like that," Zoe nodded. "Now, all you have to do is draw back, and shoot hard."_

_Santana did so and the white ball shot over and broke apart the fifteen colored balls, spreading them throughout the table._

"_You did it!" Zoe smiled, puling back as Santana grinned with pride._

"_Thanks! I couldn't have done it without you."_

_Zoe smiled and shook her head, "Nah, that was all you. You're awesome."_

_Was Santana really flirting with a girl?_

_- End Flashback –_

Oh, how she wished she could have told her mother and father about her sexuality. That was her biggest regret. And even though she didn't know if her father was dead, he might as well have been, with the war, and all. She didn't have much hope left to give. She just wished now that she could have sat them down _together_ and told them how much she loved them. They were all she had.

Her head shot up towards the door when she heard a fist knock loudly on it a couple of times.

"Hey sweet cheeks, you awake in there?" She recognized the voice as one of the men who had taken her and her mother from their car. He unlocked the door and strode inside, his usual nasty grin on his face.

"Hugo wants to see you," he chuckled darkly. She knew what he wanted. She remained still, fear filling her eyes. "Are you deaf? Get up!" He ordered. She slowly stood, her legs stinging with pain, and walked towards him. He pushed her out into the hall first before following her towards Hugo's room. They walked through the hall and through the main area of the basement. Thugs from the gang hung about, playing cards, smoking, drinking, and drooling over Santana as she was led through. They whistled and hollered at her as the man pushed her through a large door and down another hall. One she had been down several times before.

They reached the end of the dim-lit hall and the man stopped Santana at the door. He knocked before speaking.

"I got her boss."

"Send her in!" Hugo called.

The man opened the door and pushed Santana inside before shutting the door behind her. Hugo's room was much nicer than the rest of the building. He sat behind a mahogany desk, the ever present cigar in his mouth, smiling creepily at her. The rest of the room was lavish with a nice couch and chair set, a mini bar, fully stocked, and a large bed, covered by a soft red comforter with black sheets. He stood up from his desk and walked over to her, leaving his half-smoked cigar burning in the ash tray. He cupped her cheek and stroked the bruise left from the day before.

"Have my men been a little rough with you?" He asked, a taunting sound in his voice. She avoided his green eyes at all costs, not saying anything. She closed her eyes as he inched closer, his unfamiliar hands grabbing her waist and pulling her in. He kissed her roughly, his tongue invading her mouth. She felt numb, powerless, and dead as he pushed her forcefully to the nearest wall. The pain in her body was enough to distract from what was really happening. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, but something was hindering her from doing anything.

Hugo pulled back and tugged off her shirt. Her body wasn't its usual tan glow, but a dull shade of olive grey. Not to mention her lack of proper nutrition had her looking much thinner as well. He kissed down her neck, biting roughly over her previous hickeys and bruises left from himself and the other men in the gang. His hands pulled at the clasp of her bra and tossed it away. She felt violated and exposed. Then again, with men, she always did. Her mind left the moment and went back to when things were almost normal.

_- Flashback –_

"_Hey sexy," asked a mowhawked guy, a cocky smirk on his face._

"_What do you want, Puckerman?" She asked, sipping the mixed beverage in her hand._

"_You," he said into her ear over the blaring music. "I heard you play for the other team."_

_Her eyes flashed to his, "Who would tell you something crazy like that?" _

_He chuckled, "Is it true?"_

_Santana let out a fake laugh, taking a drink to mask her nervousness, "You're fucking joking right? You really think that I'm a lesbo?"_

_He smirked again and stepped closer, "Then why don't you prove me wrong?"_

_Santana looked up at him and licked her lips, her eyes darting between his eyes and his mouth. Then she pulled him in for a kiss. She could feel him smiling, but for her it felt fake. Phony. _

_He took her drink from her hand and placed it on the counter before dragging her towards the spare bedroom down the hall._

_- End Flashback –_

By now, Hugo had her naked and his pants were down. She was on her back on the bed and he was hovering over her. She felt him enter her roughly, causing her to wince in pain.

"Lucky for you, I'm sterile," he grunted in her ear as he thrust roughly in and out. At that moment she didn't want to live any more. She knew the rest of her life would consist of miserable fucking nights and days filled with unfamiliar faces and nobody to talk to. This was it. This is what it came to. She let her mind wander away as he continued, but he was interrupted by a tremor. Hugo stopped and looked around, "What the hell?"

The tremor grew and the room started shaking. Objects fell from his desk, bottles fell and broke off the shelf behind the bar. Hugo pulled out and zipped up his pants, hearing his men in a frenzy outside the door.

"Boss!" One man called, "There's aftershocks coming in from the bombings in Philadelphia!"

"Get dressed. And don't try anything." Hugo pointed at her as he moved for the door. The room continued to shake as Santana tried to process what was going on. Once she was alone she got up and, with much difficulty, redressed herself. Something in her mind was telling her to try and escape, but she knew that if she failed, she would die. One of the cabinets in the room fell and its contents fell to the floor. Among those contents, something that caught Santana's attention.

A gun.

Santana moved to pick it up and checked the ammo in the handgun. It had a full clip. She pursed her lips, remembering that her father had taught her how to use a gun when she was younger. He had let her come with him to the firing range one time, and she had asked him to teach her.

_- Flashback –_

"_Papi, can I try?" A young Santana asked as she sat behind her father as he stood in the booth of the firing range, sound cancelling headphones over both of their ears._

_The man turned around, pistol still in hand, and chuckled, "You want to learn?"_

_The 10 year old nodded giddily, "So some day I can protect myself from bad guys!"_

_The man set the gun down and walked over to sit by his daughter, removing both his and her ear protection. He put his arm around her, "That's my job!"_

"_Well what happens when I'm a grown up, and you aren't there?"_

_The question took Andre by surprise, then he smiled and patted her shoulder. "Okay," he stood up and put offered his hand, "You want to learn? I'll show you sweetheart."_

_- End Flashback –_

Santana cocked the gun just as her father had taught her eight years ago. She moved for the door and listened for any voices. She heard voices in the distance, but none close by. Cautiously, she cracked open the door and slipped out into the hall. She hurried down towards the main room, trying to formulate a plan as she went. She cracked open the door to the main room and saw the area in a panic. Men rushed everywhere, trying to calm themselves as tremors came and went. Santana also knew she needed a vehicle. She looked around carefully through the crack in the door for any sign of car keys with any of the thugs in the room.

Then she saw it them, on the poker table in the middle of the room, the keys to one of two cars she had heard them talking about one day. She would have to find a way to get the keys and get out. A younger guy with blonde hair was standing near the door, trying to remain calm, he looked frightened. She recognized him as one of the new members of the gang. All the times she had seen him he had looked nervous and out of place and he had _never_ taken advantage of her like the other animals who were there. Deciding he was her only chance, she made up her mind. She opened the door just enough to grab him and pull him inside, putting the gun to his head.

"What the fuck!" He started to shout. She hissed in his ear.

"Shut up and do what I say or I'll shoot you. There's a couple cars here, right?" She asked as another tremor shook the building.

"Y-yeah…a sedan and a Jeep. Both fully loaded…" His voice cracked in fear. She knew he would obey.

"Good. Are those the keys on the poker table out there?"

"Yes."

"I need you to get them for me. If you do, I'll get you out of here and take you with me. If you try anything, I'll kill you. And I have good aim too," Santana said, pressing the barrel of the gun into is temple.

"O-okay…I'll do it," he held his hands up in defense, "Just don't kill me!"

"Do you have any weapons on you?" She asked.

"No, check me if you want."

"I believe you. Is there any way to the other side of the main room without crossing?" She asked.

"Yes. I'll show you."

Gun still pointed, she watched him walk to another door in the hallway which led to a small staircase.

"If you go up you can go over on the main floor and back down on the other side," he said.

"You know where they're keeping me?" She asked, her adrenaline taking over.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Meet me there with the keys in three minutes. I swear if you bring anyone or say anything, you're dead," she shook the gun at him.

"I won't. I'll be there." Something about him was honest. And she knew when someone was telling the truth or not. She nodded.

"Let's do this."

…


	3. The Escape

**I'm so happy with all of the positive feedback I'm receiving with this story! Thank you all for the reviews! Keep them coming and enjoy.**

…

_Chapter 3 – The Escape_

Santana made her way upstairs and across to the other stairwell, trying to keep a layout of the building in her mind so she would be able to backtrack to the room where she had been kept. She moved quietly down the stairs, coming out in a semi-familiar hallway. Her room was at the end, near the door to the main room where the commotion was. She was worried, considering there hadn't been a tremor for a while and she knew she didn't have a lot of time. She ran down to her room and burst inside. She made a beeline for the thin, poor excuse for a mattress and lifted it up, pulling out a makeshift pouch she had fashioned out of part of the pillow case. She stuffed it into her jacket and pulled it over her shoulders just as the door burst open. Her head whipped around in fear, but she sighed when she saw the blonde guy standing there.

"Do you have the keys?" She asked quickly.

"Yeah. But we have to go, now!" He was panting. She hurried towards the door and followed him back down the hall. Just as they reached to door to the stairs, she heard a shout from the end of the hall and turned to see Hugo sending two men after them.

"Shit! They're coming!" Santana hollered as the blond guy waited at the bottom of the steps.

"Move!" He yelled, starting up the stairs. It was hard for Santana to keep up with her weakened state, but she managed to make it up and follow him to the garage. There was a deafening _bang_ as two men burst through from the stairwell and shot at them. Santana shrieked and ducked into the garage, locking the door behind her.

"Here, take the keys to the jeep," he handed her the keys. Just then there was a bang on the door.

"What about you?" Santana asked, "I said I'd get you out of here!"

"You did, but I have to go my own way, my family needs me," he said, holding up the keys to the sedan and starting to climb in.

"Wait! What's your name?" She asked.

"Sam, Sam Evans!" He called in a hurry.

"I'm Santana Lopez."

"Well, thank you, Santana, I really hated that place." There was more banging on the door.

"No, thank you."

"Good luck out there. Be safe. I hope you get to wherever you're going." He waved and climbed into the car and pressed the garage door opener. Santana hopped into the jeep and opened her side of the garage just as the door from inside burst open and Sam pulled out, his tires screeching. Santana sped out and turned right, going the opposite way of Sam. She was headed North.

Shots rang out as the men ran onto the street and fired after her, but couldn't make chase. Now she could breathe a little bit. She saw in her rear view mirror that there were supplies in the back seat. Enough to last her for a solid 2 weeks, as far as food went, anyway. She looked at the gas meter and saw it was on full, which also came as a relief, at least she wouldn't have to worry about that for a while.

She drove out of the city, which was far less populated now than it was when she had been with her mother some days ago. How long _had_ she been in captivity? She looked at the date on the console and saw that it was April 19th, her and her mother had left on the 10th.

Nine days in that place. Her body ached even more now after all that running. She was glad her adrenaline had masked the pain. She drove for a long time, finally stopping in the evening at a strip mall in a small town called Olivet. The town was pretty empty. It was only about 7 when she stopped and she hadn't seen anyone yet. She pulled up and parked close to the front of a TJ Max store and grabbed her gun before getting out and heading for the door, making sure to _lock_ the car as she went. She pulled the door handle, and to her surprise, it pulled right open. She needed some fresh clothes, so she was just going to grab some and go.

Gun out, she stood at the front of the store, listening for any sign of another person. She heard nothing. She stepped quickly and silently towards the women's clothing section and started looking for clothes. She grabbed a pair of jeans, a black Bob Marley shirt, and a nice warm leather jacket. Along with some fresh underwear and a new bra, a sports bra, for the comfort, she also made sure to grab some sweats and a couple other shirts.

She needed to change clothes, so she moved for the dressing rooms. The store was still eerily quiet, she kept on her toes as she slipped into an empty dressing room. Once she was changed into the jeans and the Marley shirt, she slipped back out. She next moved for the section of the store with bags and suit cases. She grabbed a simple black duffle bag and shoved the clothes inside.

And suddenly, she heard a sound come from the toy department. It sounded like something being dropped. She heard someone say "Shhh!" It sounded like a female. Cautiously, with the bag over her shoulder, Santana held the gun up and moved in the direction of the noise. She heard shuffling and what sounded like a scared whimper, possibly from a child even.

"Who's there?" Santana called as she scanned each aisle. She saw a flash of blonde hair as the person moved to the aisle in front of the one Santana had just looked down. She hurried to the next, catching them in their tracks. She was met with a pair of bright blue eyes belonging to a girl about her age. And in the girls arm, was a small girl, no older than 5, with brown hair and blue eyes.

"Don't hurt us, please," the blonde asked quietly, holding the child close.

"Are you one of the bad guys who tries to catch us?" The little girl asked. Santana gave her an odd look and lowered her gun.

"No. Who are you?" Santana couldn't tear her eyes from the blonde's own blue ones.

"I'm B-Brittany…and this is Adi. Please…don't hurt us," she said again.

"I'm not going to hurt you. Were you hiding from someone?" Santana asked, looking around.

"You," Adi said, nuzzling further into Brittany

"Besides me," Santana corrected.

Brittney nodded, "Some really mean men."

"Where are you from?" Santana asked.

"Cincinnati…We just have nowhere to go. My car was taken by the men after they chased us," Brittany looked down. "Where are you from?"

"Lima."

"I've never been there," Brittany said quizzically.

"Well, we can't go back now. The war reached there. It's bad. Don't you guys have someone else to go to?" Santana asked.

The two shook their heads. "No parents? No friends?" Santana couldn't really talk, she was _alone_.

"M-my mom died a few years ago…and my dad…he's still out there. He _was_ on assignment last I knew…but now, I don't know where he is," Brittany shrugged. "As for Adi, here, she was my neighbor. I used to baby sit her. Her parents were killed back in Cincinnati."

"I'm sorry," was all Santana could think to say.

"How did you get here?"

"I drove my Jeep," Santana said blandly.

"You have a car?" Brittany asked, almost excitedly.

"Why do you look sick?" Adi asked innocently. Santana looked down.

"It's a long story," Santana started to walk away.

"Hey, wait!" Brittany hurried after her. Santana stopped and turned around, "What's your name?"

"Santana."

"Nice to meet you, Santana. That's a pretty name," Brittany smiled softly at the name and the way it rolled off her tongue.

"Are you going to help us?" Adi asked innocently again. Santana furrowed her brow.

"Well…I don't really-," Santana was cut off when Brittany lost her footing and tripped forward. Adi screamed as the two of them hit the ground. Adi reflexively grabbed for the first thing her hand could find which was Brittany's necklace she was wearing. The chain snapped and flew into the air, landing at Santana's feet.

"Ouchie!" Adi sobbed. Brittany tried to compose herself as she picked up Adi again and tried to sooth the small child apologizing quickly for her clumsiness. Santana picked up the necklace and examined it. It was a locket with something engraved on it.

_Pierce_.

The name rang a bell. She thought back to the letter from her father. Something about a man with the last name Pierce. She pulled it from her pocket. She was right. The man in Alaska running a safe zone. Inside the locket was a picture of a man in military uniform on one side, and on the other were the words, _Find me with the lights in the sky. _

Alaska.

She looked up at Brittany and handed her back the locket.

"What does your dad do?" Santana asked quickly.

"He's in the military…" Brittany sighed with dismay.

Santana made a realization. This had to be his daughter. A sudden pang of guilt hit Santana as she looked at Brittany, who was still comforting little Adi.

She had to make a decision.

"Do you want to come with me?" Santana asked, speaking quickly.

Brittany's eyes widened, "Where are you going?"

"Alaska. I know it's safe up there," Santana said firmly.

"How do you know?"

"My father told me. I trust him, and I promised him I would go there if things got bad," Santana explained.

"Um…"

"I just…I think it's better if we stick together," Santana said as an excuse for them to come. She didn't want to freak Brittany out with the news that her father might still be alive.

Brittany was still deep in thought, unsure of whether to trust the Latina.

"Beebee, can we please? I'm scared here," Adi asked sweetly. Brittany looked from the little girl, to Santana's awaiting expression.

"Okay. We'll come."

…

"It's getting dark…" Brittany spoke the first words since they left TJ Max. They had been on the road for about thirty minutes, still headed north. Adi was already asleep, Brittany's jacket draped over her as she layed on the back seat.

"So?" Santana asked rudely.

"So…shouldn't we stop to sleep?" Brittany asked.

"Do you _want_ to get killed?" Santana asked, the ever sarcastic tone in her voice.

"Well, I mean, I don't want you driving all night…and in me and Adi's bag we have a tent…we could camp out. I was a girl scout when I was little, I know how to make fires," Brittany offered. Santana kept her eyes on the road.

"I'll think about it. Just…just try not to get on my nerves too much, okay?"

Brittany nodded at the beautiful Latina, "Okay, Santana. I'll try."

There was more silence as they drove along, Santana noticed there was about half a tank of gas left and took note to think of ways to get gas. After another hour and a half, they passed a sign that pointed them to a camp grounds exit. It seemed rural enough, and Santana _was_ exhausted. Maybe stopping for the night wasn't such a bad idea. And she was hungry, so they could eat too. She pulled off at the exit and droved into the camp grounds. Thankfully it was deserted. She pulled up to the shore of the lake and turned the car off.

"Is this good?" Santana asked.

"It's so pretty out here," Brittany smiled softy, a tone of appreciation in her voice.

Santana watched Brittany gaze out the window dreamily at the moonlit lake. The blonde must have felt Santana's gaze on her because she looked over and locked eyes with the brunette, who quickly blushed and looked away.

"Well, let's set up that tent and build that fire. Then we can eat," Santana got out of the car, along with Brittany, and they walked around to the trunk.

"You have food?" Brittany asked, trying to hide her excitement.

"Lot's," Santana nodded, opening the rear hatch of the jeep. Brittany gasped and covered her hands with her mouth. "We'll have to ration it, but it aught to last us until Alaska if we don't waste it or eat too much. I think tonight can be an exception though," Santana offered.

Brittany squealed and hurried to retrieve her duffle bag, which she extracte the tent from. Santana gathered fire wood and when she returned, Brittany was waking Adi.

"Where are we?" Adi asked sleepily.

"We're at the lake, sweetie. We're staying the night here," Brittany explained as she carried the toddler over to the tent and sat on a rock with Adi on her lap.

"Got the fire wood."

"Okay, then let's make this fire. Can you um, hold her?" Brittany asked. Santana looked unsure for a moment, "Just while I make the fire? Adi, can you go with Santana for a minute?"

"She's scary," the little girl whispered. Brittany cackled and nodded, looking at Santana as she spoke.

"I know she is, but she won't hurt you, I promise," Brittany told her gently. Santana's expression softened.

"I'm really pretty nice if you get to know me," Santana tried.

"Can you tell me a story?" Adi asked.

"If, if you want," Santana stuttered.

"Okay!" Adi hopped up and walked over to Santana and held out her little hand. Santana didn't know why, but she found this gesture comforting, knowing such a small child was still so bright in a dark time. Santana couldn't stop a smile as she took the little girl's hand and moved to sit on the rock opposite where Brittany had sat. It reminded her of a time when she had been cheered up by her little cousin, Evelyn.

_- Flashback –_

"_Tana! Come play with me!" The small hispanic child waved the teen over. Santana sighed._

"_Maybe later…" Santana's mind wandered to earlier that day. She had just been dumped by the first girlfriend she'd ever had. Zoe had just left her a note that said, __**We won't work**__, and left. She was upset because she had finally started feeling comfortable with who she was, and now she was sinking back into shame._

_The little girl walked over and put her hand's on Santana's knees. "Tana, why are you sad?" Evelyn made the question so simple. Santana looked down at the little girl and tucked a strack lock of hair behind her little ear and shrugged._

"_Sometimes, things just don't work out the way we want them to."_

"_Smiling makes me feel better when I'm sad," Evelyn said sweetly. Santana let out a soft laugh._

"_It's hard for me to smile when I'm sad," Santana argued._

"_You have to think of something that makes you happy, silly!" Evelyn said. "That's where smiles come from!"_

"_Who taught you that?" Santana aske curiously._

"_You did! Remember? Tana, you forget things a lot!" Evelyn giggled. Santana looked at the little girl, both surprised and amazed._

"_I did?"_

"_Once I was sad when my daddy left and you told me to think of something that made me smile, so I thought of my mommy," Evelyn said. Santana swallowed as a smile graced her face._

"_Now I remember," Santana nodded._

"_Will you play with me now?" Evelyn asked hopefully. Santana laughed and nodded._

"_C'mon, squirt."_

_- End Flashback –_

"Santana, you said you would tell me a story!" Adi whined.

"Oh…right. Um," Santana thought for a moment, trying to remember good stories from her childhood, "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Mye. Mye was no ordinary girl, she was a story teller for a prince. One day, he banished her from her kingdom until she could come up with a story that was good enough to please him. So she left on a long journey throughout the land to find a story good enough to please him. After traveling high and low, near and far, she came across the kindom of Yarbankian-,"

"Yarbankian? Where's that?" Adi asked in awe. Santana looked up at Brittany, who was giggling to herself as she made the fire.

"It's far, far away. Anyway, Mye came across Yarbankian, where nobody speaks the same language. Lucky for her, she met the Sandpeople…"

"_Sand_people?" Adi asked.

"Yes, they help the Sandman put us to sleep at night, and they speak all languages, so they agreed to help Mye. But they also had a problem in Yarbankian. Mye learned from a music maker named Mungo that the Empress of Yarbankian, Imperia, had lost her happiness inside a magic egg, which was being held by a mysterious creature called the Bork."

"Oh no!" Adi gasped. "Did Mye help her?"

"She did, she and Mungo came up with a plan to save the magic egg. Mungo made some music that was _so_ amazing, the Bork danced away from it's nest long enough for Mye to retrieve the egg and deliver it to Imperia. And because of her adventures, she not only saves the Empress, but also finds a story to take home and please the prince of her kingdom. And she lived happily ever after." Santana concluded, squinting as the flame that Brittany had started had now grown.

"I like that story. Where did you hear it?" Adi asked.

"My abuela used to tell me that," Santana smiled.

"What's that?"

Santana laughed, "Abuela is Spanish for grandmother."

"You speak Spanish? That's weird!"

"Adi!" Brittany scolded.

"It's okay, really. Not like I really have anyone to speak Spanish with…" Santana gave a shrug.

Adi hopped off of Santana's lap and walked over to where Brittany sat. "BeeBee, I'm hungry."

"Well, you're in luck, because Santana has some food for us!" Brittany smiled at Santana again and the Latina felt her heart flutter.

"You do?"

"I sure do, kiddo. What do you want?"

"Umm…Spaghetti O's!" Adi asked.

"I think, I might actually have some of those!" Santana stood up.

"Brittany, what do you want?"

"I'll take whatever you have," Brittany answered. Santana walked over to the jeep to retrieve the items. When she returned she used a knife she had found in the car to open the cans. She handed a spoon and the can of Spaghetti O's to Adi, and a can of vegtable soup to Brittany, keeping a can of soup for herself. She also gave them each a bottle of water.

"Dinner, is served!" Santana smiled, digging in after a long day.

…

"I'm sleepy!" Adi said, yawning.

"Okay, well, why don't you go on to bed? I put your blanket's in there for you. We'll be right out here if you need us," Brittany cooed affectionately.

The little girl threw her little arms around Brittany in a hug, "I love you BeeBee."

"I love you too, Ads," Brittany whispered, using the girl's pet name. Adi then pulled away and walked around the fire to Santana and hugged her. Santana was surprised at first, but then returened the gesture.

"Night Tana!" When Adi said that, Santana tensed up and felt tears prick her eyes. She didn't even know why. Well, she sort of did. Evelyn was the only one who had ever called her that.

"Night, Adi." Santana held in her tears as Adi crawled into the tent.

"Santana, are you okay?" Brittany noticed the change in Santana's expression and moved over to sit next to her.

"It's nothing, really." Santana waved Brittany off, but the blonde didn't move form Santana's side.

"Are you sure?" Brittany asked.

"I guess I just miss my life…you know?" Santana admitted, still not looking up at Brittany.

"Yeah," Brittany nodded. They sat in silence for a little bit, the night consuming their thoughts.

Santana stared into the fire, wondering why she was still there, when she had nothing else to live for. She was even losing hope that her father was still alive, so why was she still going on like this? It was Brittany and Adi. She felt some sort of tenderness for them. Something in her wanted to take on the responsibility for the two girls' lives. She wanted to keep them safe. And she couldn't fight the feeling.

The two girls sat by the fire, having tiny conversations which were mostly always ended by Santana. And for the first time in a long time, they had a night of somewhat peacefulness, away from the world that was slowly crumbling before them.

…

**Tell me what you think? Do you like Adi? :) Reviews make me happy!**


	4. The Road

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while! It's been a long few weeks for me. With a lot of ups and downs, but I'm updating now! I hope you enjoy it, and thanks to everyone who left feedback.**

…

_Chapter 4 – The Road_

"_Mom? Dad? Where are you?" Santana called into the darkness. She strained to see through the black, endless space around her, but she couldn't see._

"_We're here, mija," Her father's voice answered from no particular direction._

"_Where? WHERE?" Santana screamed at the top of her lungs._

"_Right next to you sweetie…" Her mother's voice came as an echo._

"_I can't see you!" Santana was crying now as she turned left and right, reaching for her parents._

"_That doesn't mean we aren't right here…" Her father's voice was fading._

"_No, I need you! I can't do this on my own!"_

"_You are so loved, Santana. Be brave, sweetheart. Be strong…" Her mother was fading too. She wanted to chase after them but she couldn't moved._

"_Don't leave me!" Santana took a step and screamed when her foot stepped into nothing but air. She was falling. Falling to her death._

Santana gasped as she shot awake, panting and covered in sweat. She swallowed hard and looked around. She was in the tent, it had been a nightmare. She looked over and saw Brittany, who was still lying down, staring at her. She blinked away the tears that had formed in her eyes, trying to hid them from the concerned blonde.

"You were making weird sounds…" Brittany said quietly.

"I uh, was just having a bad dream, that's all," Santana got up quickly and unzipped the tent before stepping out into the crisp morning air. Brittany followed her down to the small dock that was on the water. Santana was sitting on the edge, the soles of her shoes just barely grazing the surface of the water. Brittany sat next to her and tried to analyze the expression on Santana's face.

"You miss someone…" Brittany concluded.

Santana kept looking forward, "I don't wanna talk about it."

Brittany inched closer and looked down at their hands, which now sat next to one another on the old wood of the dock. She contemplated holding Santana's hand. Instead she decided on something different. She bit her lip and hesitantly slid her pinky over Santana's and hooked them together. Santana's eyes widened and she tensed, but didn't pull away.

"You can tell me, Santana," Brittany urged her.

Santana rolled her lips into her mouth, trying to hold back tears, "I had a dream about my parents."

"You mentioned your dad yesterday…where is he now?" Brittany asked.

Santana shrugged weakly, "I don't know. Dead, probably…"

"Santana, don't say that! You don't know for sure!" Brittany scolded.

"Brittany, he was the head doctor for the military, he got called to the worst spot. And in case you haven't heard, that place has been blown to oblivion." Santana didn't mean to snap at Brittany, but she couldn't stop herself.

Brittany looked meek under Santana's stare, "Wh-what about your mom?" The question was barely loud enough to hear.

Santana's answer was equally as small, "She was murdered 10 days ago. Killed by a gang. And now I'm sure they're after me."

"Oh my goodness…Santana, I'm so sorry…" Brittany covered her mouth with her free hand and shook her head.

"Don't be sorry. A lot of people have died because of this _fucking_ war," Santana shrugged sadly.

"I think we should say something on her behalf," Brittany said, sounding stronger now.

"No, we don't have to-,"

"She needs a proper farewell! Here," Brittany unlinked their pinkies and opened her hand for Santana to hold. Santana looked hesitant at first, but slowly, she reached over and laced her fingers through Brittany's. The warmth sent a shock running through her body.

"What do we do now?" Santana asked, still feeling uptight.

"What was her name?" Brittany asked.

Santana paused yet again, looking up into Brittany's eyes for a moment, "Cassandra. Cassandra Lopez."

"Okay!" Brittany squeezed Santana's hand and had a moment of silence before speaking, "Dear God…if you're really up there…When you see Santana's mom, Cassandra, can you give her this message, please?" Brittany asked politely, and in a way that made Santana smile to herself. Brittany then looked at Santana to speak. "Well, go on…say something to your mom," the blonde encouraged.

Santana cleared her throat and nodded, "Uhm…H-hi, mom. I miss you. I'm so sorry for what happened. You didn't deserve to die that way, especially when I need you so much. I hope you are watching over us. I-I…I love you Mami," Santana said, getting choked up.

They sat in a moment of silence as Santana tried to wipe her silent tears. Brittany was still warmly holding her hand. It felt nice.

"That was beautiful, Santana," Brittany nodded softly. They seemed unusually close at the moment and it made Santana's heart race. She hadn't felt that in a long time. It scared her a little. Before Brittany could say anything else, Santana muttered something about needing to start getting ready to leave before getting up quickly and walking back to the tent leaving Brittany confused about the moment they had shared there on the dock, and wondered if it would happen again.

…

"BeeBee, why do we have to drive so much?" Adi asked from the backseat. They had left about two hours after they woke up. Santana was scared of Hugo's gang coming after her. She didn't know if they knew where she was going, but she didn't under estimate what they were capable of. And now that she had Brittany and Adi with her, she really needed to keep her eyes open.

"Because, honey, it's not safe here, we have to go away where we can be safe," Brittany explained gently.

"I wish my mommy and daddy were here too…I miss them," Adi said innocently.

"I know. I wish they were too. They loved you a lot Adi. But you know what?" Brittany asked sweetly.

"What?" Adi was crying now. Brittany turned around in her seat to look at the little girl.

"I love you a lot too. I'll never leave you," Brittany wiped the tears from the little girl's face.

"Pinky promise?" Adi held out her little pinky for Brittany to take. Santana's mind flashed back to that morning, when Brittany had linked pinkies with her.

Brittany linked pinkies and smiled, "Pinky promise."

She glanced at the gas meter for what seemed like the millionth time and saw that she had about a quarter of a tank left. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and bit her lip. This didn't go unnoticed by Brittany.

"What's wrong? Something is bothering you…" Brittany observed. Santana pursed her lips in dismay.

"We'll need gas soon. I hope we can make it to the next big city. I think we're close to Minneapolis." Santana had a plan formulated in her head, she just hoped it would work.

"Why can't we just stop at a gas station and check the pumps?" Brittany asked, as if it were obvious.

"I know for a fact that we won't be able to get any there, we have to find a city with a big parking garage that had a valet service pump. Those don't require money to use because they're kept for the valets to use," Santana said.

"Wow, I would have never known that! How did you know that?" Brittany asked.

_- Flashback –_

"_So Santana, tell me why you're here again? I'm working," Puck asked, handing a set of car key's back to their wealthy owner. _

"_Because, I need gas. Quinn and I are taking a road trip to the lake, but my parents didn't give me gas money…now, can you hook me up or what?" Santana asked demandingly._

"_I might be able to get you some…yeah," he wiggled his eyebrows, "What do I get in return, Lopez."_

"_Well, what do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. He looked her up and down hungrily._

"_You know what I want," He said._

"_Puck, I've already told you, I don't play for your team," she whispered._

"_Oh come on, Santana. A semester ago you were all over me trying to prove how straight you were and now you're as gay as they come? What the fuck?" He asked, amused._

"_I am NOT as gay as they come," She hissed._

"_Well, no sex, no gas for you and Quinn..." Puck teased._

"_Throw in some booze and I'll do it," she bartered._

"_You got yourself a deal, Lopez. Now, grab your car and follow me down under the parking garage," he nodded._

"_I owe you one," she said._

"_Yes you do!"_

_- End Flashback –_

"A friend of mine used to work as a valet in the city at a casino. He would always hook me up with free gas," Santana explained. "Hey, look at the map in the glove box. Find Minneapolis," Santana instructed.

"Um, I don't really…know how to read a map..." Brittany muttered. Santana looked at her oddly for a moment before pulling over on the side of the deserted highway. She took the map from Brittany's hands and examined it for a moment, calculating the time it would take to reach Minneapolis.

"Do we have enough to make it?" Brittany asked nervously.

"We should, as long as we stay en route." Santana folded the map and placed it in the center console. "It'll be tight, but I think we can make it." She started the car up again and pulled away from the side of the road. Adi was asleep again as the afternoon rolled in. They had made more small talk, but Brittany was getting bored.

"Do you wanna play a game?" Brittany asked.

"A game?" Santana thought she was kidding. "The world is in a nuclear war…and you want to play a _game_?"

Brittany nodded and shrugged, "Why not?"

Santana sighed and rested her elbow on the window ledge to lean her head on her hand as she drove. "Fine, what game?"

"Well, I'll tell you a fact about myself and you have to guess if it's true or false. If you guess right, you get to ask me anything you want. If you guess wrong, I get to ask you anything. And we always have to be honest," Brittany explained. Santana tensed.

"I don't know…"

"Please? I promise I won't ask hard questions!" Brittany looked at her with those big blue eyes and she had to give in.

"Alright…fine."

"Yay! Okay…Um, what should I do first? Oh! I know! I have blonde hair."

Santana furrowed her brow, "True."

"See! It's easy. Now you get to ask me anything!" Brittany smiled.

"Um…How old are you?" Santana asked.

"I turned 18 last month!" Brittany smiled as if it were a huge life accomplishment, "Okay, um, I can't dance."

"…True?"

"False! Now I get to ask you something! Hmm…What's your favorite thing to do for fun?" Brittany asked curiously.

Santana thought for a moment. What _did_ she like to do for fun? Fun seemed so far off nowadays. Everything seemed so skewed by the war that the idea of leisure was becoming more and more lost.

"Well…I guess I sing a lot. At least, I used to anyway." Santana missed singing. It was a release for her. It let her express herself in ways she didn't normally feel comfortable doing.

"Will you sing for _me_?" Brittany asked.

"Not a chance," Santana cuckled.

"Please? Oh, you don't have to sing a lot…just a little! It would be so nice to hear somebody sing…and I bet you're really good!" Brittany begged.

"I'll think about it."

"Okay! So, next fact, my favorite candy is Dots."

"True?"

"Yep! Now you get to ask me again," Brittany grinned happily. Santana was amazed at how easy it was to make Brittany happy.

"Okay…Who's your favorite singer?" Santana asked.

"Britney Spears!" Brittany answered quickly.

"Britney? She's your favorite?" Santana raised her brows.

"Mhm! Cause we have the same name," Brittany informed.

"Your last name is Pierce," Santana said, confused.

"Well, my middle name is Susan, my last name is Pierce. That makes me Brittany S. Pierce, Brittany Spierce," Brittany said slowly. Santana looked at her incredulously.

"What?"

"Britney totally wants to be me," Brittany was joking, but her expression read otherwise. Santana understood, though, and she laughed. She actually laughed. Brittany laughed to, because Santana was laughing. Santana didn't even know _why_ the hell she was laughing so hard. Brittany was just funny. "I like your laugh," Brittany grinned, "It's really cute."

"I think it's kind of annoying."

Brittany shook her head. "No, it's not. It's just…real. I like it when you laugh," Brittany looked down, but Santana could've sworn she saw blush on the blondes cheek.

"Uhm…isn't it your turn to tell me another fact?" Santana diverted.

"Yeah…I'm straight."

"True," Santana said with semi confidence. If anyone had a good gay-dar, it was her. And Brittany _did not_ come off gay.

"False."

Santana's head snapped over to look at her, her eyes wide, "False?"

"I'm into girls…and guys too. I'm bilingual," Brittany smiled.

"I think you mean bi_sexual_," Santana corrected, "bilingual means you can speak two languages. Like me, I'm bilingual."

"Well, you lost, so I still get to ask you something!"

"Right."

"Are _you_ straight?" Brittany asked casually.

Santana was quiet for a moment, "No."

"Oh! Then you must be bisexual like me!" Brittany clapped her hands.

"Actually…I only like girls," Santana admitted quietly.

"Ooh! I've never met a unicorn before!" Brittany grinned. "At least not a girl unicorn…"

Brittany got stranger every minute. "Unicorn?"

"Unicorn means that you like the same gender. Like I have a friend named Blaine who's a unicorn! He only likes other boys. You're a unicorn too, since you only like girls," Brittany said like it was congratulatory.

"O-kay…" Santana nodded.

"Don't worry…I love unicorns," Brittany smiled flirtatiously. Santana blushed and looked back at the road.

"Um, next fact."

…

When they rolled into Minneapolis the conversation they had been having faded out. The city was destroyed. Santana was in awe. Remains of buildings stood, halfway intact. Adi was awake now and staring out the window. Santana swallowed hard and scanned the buildings for any signs of a parking nice venue where a valet pump would be nearby to fill up the tank. The gas light was on now so she knew she only had about eight miles left before they would run out.

"Look for anything like a casino or a nightclub…any place near a parking garage," Santana told them.

"Santana?" Brittany asked, "What about a hotel?"

…

"Okay, now, we have to be very careful down here. Don't get out of the car unless I tell you to, keep Adi in your lap…we don't know if there's anyone down here," Santana said as they sat, parked in the entrance to the lower level of the pitch black parking garage.

Brittany gave her a thin-lipped smile and nodded, the only sign of fear residing in her eyes.

"I don't like it down here!" Adi buried her face into Brittany's neck.

"Shh, it's okay Ads…we're just getting some gas for the car and then we'll be back on the road. I promise," Brittany cooed, rubbing the child's back.

"Here we go," Santana took a breath and put the jeep in drive, pulling slowly into the darkness, the only light coming from her headlights.

They drove past most of the parking spaces, swerving around abandoned cars and debris, Santana finally saw it, a caged off area with a gas pump inside. And even better, there were several empty red gas cans, waiting to be filled.

Santana pulled up to the gate and parked the car. She started to get out, but then paused to grab her gun from the center. Brittany shot her a nervous glance as she checked the ammo and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Stay put, okay? I'm going to see if the gate is open," Santana assured her. The blonde nodded and swallowed hard as she watched Santana get out and move cautiously to the front of the gate where it was, in fact, locked with a simple masterlock and chain. She surveyed the area again, listening past the hum of the jeep's engine for any signs of danger.

She knew she could pick the lock, she just wasn't sure if she had a lot of time. But the gas was far too valuable to give up. Going back to the car, she opened the rear hatch and fumbled around for a tool kit, which included a multi-tool. She shut the hatch, Brittany and Adi still watching her carefully, and returned to the lock. She drew the smallest of tools from the multi-tool and tried to slip the small barbed end into the lock, but it was too big. She hissed in frustration and thought for a moment. Then she had an idea.

In a hurry she reached up and pulled a bobby pin from her own hair, which was up in a pony tail at the moment, and brought it back down to slip into the lock. She had learned to pick locks from Puck, of course. At that moment, as much of an ass that Puck had been, she was grateful that she had known him.

_- Flashback –_

"_Puck, where the fuck are you taking me?" Santana asked in a low whisper._

"_Listen, do you want to get your girl back, or not?" He asked as he pulled her towards the school football stadium that spring night._

"_Yes, but…"_

"_Then you need to follow me. I'm gonna get you into the stadium and you're going to call her and invite her here. There's a picnic in this basket," he handed her the container, "And a blanket, too. Set it up in the middle of the field and tell her to come around to the back fence. I'll be up in the booth, ready with romantic music on cue."_

_Santana stopped in her tracks, "Puck…why are you doing this?"_

"_Because, you're like, the only real chick I know. Sure, it sucks that you aren't straight, and I'm gonna miss the sex with you, but you're pretty cool. And you're kind of like…my friend," Puck said, pulling her towards the gate._

"_It's locked!" Santana pointed out._

"_Give me a bobby pin," He held out his hand. She furrowed her brow and pulled one from her hair. He handed her the flashlight he had and focused on the lock. "Now, the trick with masterlocks is to hit every pin just right, and when you feel it click, then you go to the next one…" Puck gently moved the pin in the lock until finally, with a twist of his wrist, the lock clicked open and he held the gate open for her._

"_Puck.."_

"_Have fun babe," he winked. She just leaned up, kissed him gently on the cheek, and walked past him._

"_Puck," she stopped and looked at the mohawked guy, "Thank you."_

_- End Flashback –_

She had only practiced a couple of times, but with a couple of tries, she finally got it open. Brittany sighed in relief when she saw Santana pull the chain from the gate and slide the chain-link doors open. She hurried back and hopped in the jeep, pulling in and stopping by the pump.

"Alright," Santana smiled proudly, "Let's fill her up!"

…

**Hope you liked the change of pace! Tell me what you think!**


	5. The Bottle Half Full

**Hey guys! I have a little spare time this lovely afternoon and so I thought I would grace this story with an update. I know it's been a LONG time but I'm not giving up on it! So here you go and I hope you like it!**

…

Getting gas had gone quickly with the help of Brittany. They filled up five empty gas canisters plus the jeep's tank, so they were good to go for a while. They left the city and continued north, playing games and listening to Santana's iPod, which luckily could be charged on the car's power. By nightfall, they reached the town of Noyes, Minnesota, right near the Canadian border. It was deserted, too, to Santana's surprise, and she was hesitant to camp there for the night.

They decided it best to just stop in a wooded area just on the outskirts of the town and camp there. The next day they would go into town and look for supplies. But Santana was tired now and needed rest. She knew Adi and Brittany did, too. So they pulled off and set up camp, much like the previous night and ate small rations of canned food and shared two bottles of water. Adi fell asleep fast with another story from Santana and the Latina offered to tuck her in.

The brunette stood from around their fire with Adi in her arms and stepped into the tent to lay the little girl on the sleeping bags and blankets. She gently tucked her underneath the pink blanket (it was Adi's favorite) and leaned down to kiss her forehead, not realizing a pair of blue eyes was watching her from outside the tent. She gave one last look at the little girl before climbing back out of the tent and sitting by Brittany.

They were quiet, but Brittany studied her face carefully. Santana finally diverted her dark eyes from the fire and returned Brittany's gaze.

"What?" Santana asked quietly.

Brittany shook out of her daze and shrugged, "I don't know…just…thank you, Santana…really. We would have died without you."

Santana pursed her lips and nodded. "Well…who am I to leave you guys to fend alone? I mean…in this whole fucking mess of a world there has to be some good…right?" Santana didn't know why she asked.

Brittany nodded, "You're definitely a good thing in this world." The blonde reached over and subtly took Santana's hand. The brunette tensed for a moment before relaxing into Brittany's touch.

"Not as good as you," Santana nodded towards the tent. "She loves you, you know? You're the only family she has left."

"I'm not _really _her family," Brittany pointed out, "and she had _you_, too. She loves you San."

"Not by blood, no. But you are family to her. And the way you treat her…I just know you would be a great mom someday," Santana looked back at the fire. "And I'll admit…I do have a soft spot for that one…" She chuckled and shook her head. Brittany gave her a beaming smile and rested her head on Santana's shoulder.

"You'd be a good mom, too," she heard Brittany say.

Santana shook her head, "No, I wouldn't…"

"Sure you would!"

"How do you know?"

"Well," Brittany traced patterns on the back of Santana's hand, "You have great protective instincts…and you're strong willed, but also gentle when you need to be. And I can tell you never, _ever_ give up," Brittany explained. "And I don't know about you…but that sounds like the qualities of a pretty great mom."

Santana couldn't argue, so she just nodded and looked at her's and Brittany's intertwined hands. They sat in silence and watched the fire for a moment before Brittany suddenly lifted her head from Santana's shoulder. Santana looked at her as if she knew the blonde was going to speak.

"Do you really think we'll find my dad?" Brittany asked.

Santana's heart swelled, she really didn't know, but she knew Brittany just needed positivity…not the whole truth. So she simply answered, "Yes."

"Sometimes, it feels like I'll never see him again, you know?"

Santana _did_ know. Her and Brittany were basically in the same boat. For all they knew, the only people they had left could be eachother. And that thought, as much as she cared for Brittany and Adi, was _scary_.

It made her almost miss the nights she'd spent at parties with all the bafoons from her high school. As much as she'd wanted to not be at them back then, she kind of longed for those carefree parties.

_-Flashback-_

"_Hey San, are you still coming tonight? Cause I am not going to another one of Noah's parties alone so he can hit on me!" Quinn Fabray asked her friend as they sat in the school's library._

_Santana didn't look up from her phone, "Yeah yeah…I'm going. Want me to drive?"_

"_Sure…can we get ready at yours, though? My mom will totally know we're going to a party if we get all dressed up and sexy at my place," the blonde laughed._

_Santana laughed a little, too, "Fine, Fabray. Come over at seven. We'll leave at nine."_

"_Okay, see you then."_

…

"_Ladies! Welcome to Noah Puckerman's Palace of Love! Keg's back there! Enjoy!" Puck announced loudly as Santana and Quinn stepped in the door of Puck's large home._

"_You just want to get us drunk Weasel Top," Santana joked. Quinn snorted out a laugh next to her._

"_Please, I don't need alcohol to get action. The ladies love them some of this," Puck smirked, draping an arm over each of their shoulders._

"_Oh please! I get more pussy than you do Puck!" Santana said with a tinge of sarcasm._

"_Santana!" Quinn scolded._

"_What? It's probably true…"_

"_Shut it Lopez. Why don't you guys go mingle or some shit? I've got other ladies to charm and people to greet," Puck shooed them towards the kitchen. The two girls laughed and walked that direction through the hoards of teenagers in the house._

"_Look who showed up!" One of their friends from the football team was pouring drinks from the keg when they walked in and didn't hesitate to hand them each a red cup filled with beer._

"_Someone cool had to come!" Quinn remarked, making Santana laugh as they took their drinks._

"_Cheers to a great night!" Santana proposed, raising her cup._

"_To a great night!"_

_-End Flashback-_

Santana _really_ missed Quinn. Quinn was the one person besides Puck who she had _really_ trusted in high school. She remembered all the countless times when Quinn had come to her rescue and vice versa in varying situations. Quinn was there at her worst and her best, and now that she wasn't around, she wondered if Quinn knew how much she really meant to her.

Shaking the memories from her mind, she looked back to Brittany, this new light in her otherwise dark life, and smiled.

"I know exactly how you feel," Santana replied.

Brittany knew not to dig too deep when the subject of parents came up, so she just squeezed Santana's hand gently. "We have eachother, though…and I like you. So there's that. Our glass is half full. Not half empty," Brittany said upwardly.

Santana contemplated the statement. They were sort of in a lucky situation. They had gas, food, water, a destination, and they had one another. Santana shuddered at the thought of being alone again. The days she spent alone after her mother was killed were the worst of her life. Feeling like she would never get out and that she would never be cared for again…it made her sick to her stomach.

"Yeah…I guess it is, isn't it?" Santana agreed.

"Definitely…I feel like we'll be okay. We're survivors."

There was a moment of silence before Santana turned to fully face Brittany.

"What?" Brittany asked. Before she knew what was happening, Santana leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you," the Latina whispered before pulling back and standing up. "C'mon…let's get some sleep." She offered Brittany her hand and the dumbstruck blonde grinned and followed her into a tent. They curled up under the blankets and layed side by side, both feeling more awake than ever.

"San?" Brittany whispered.

"Yeah?"

Brittany hesitated, "Can you…can you hold me?"

The question threw Santana off guard, but she smiled mentally anyways. "Yeah…c'mere." She opened her arms and turned on her side so she could spoon the blonde. "This okay?"

"Mhm…perfect…thank you," Brittany let out a hum.

Santana snuggled closer to the blonde and closed her eyes.

And that night they slept better than they had in weeks.

…

**I hope you guys don't mind this filler chapter! Leave me a review!**


	6. The Shadow of Fear

**I'm really happy to be back writing this story! I must warn you that there is implied cannibalism and also, I need to give a trigger warning for talking about rape and such. As usual, enjoy and tell me what you think!**

…

The next morning, they left their campsite early to go into the small town to rummage for supplies. Santana was nervous about it, as always, but it had to be done. They weren't short on supplies…but they would be in a week's time, and she knew that the terrain would only get rougher from there on out and urban areas would become rare as they crossed into Canada. They slowly rolled into town and looked out the windows at the desolate 'one-stoplight' town.

"Beebee, I'm scared!" Adi said from the back seat. The blonde looked over her shoulder back at the little girl, giving her a comforting smile.

"It's okay, we won't be long," Brittany said softly. Santana saw the tiny grocery store and pulled up infront, as close as she could park, and turned the Jeep off.

The brunette turned to face Brittany with a serious look on her face. "Listen, Britt, I want you to stay here with Adi while I go in and get as much as I can."

Brittany shook her head, "No…we're going with you…we need to stay together, keep eachother safe."

Santana sighed, "Fine…come on…and stay close." Santana grabbed her duffel bag from the back seat and emptied it before climbing out of the jeep and locking it. She joined Brittany and Adi by the door of the tiny grocery store. She drew her gun and slowly opened the door, going in quietly with the other's in tow.

She looked from left to right and listened for _any_ sound of movement, but there was nothing.

"Okay…I think it's clear…" She turned back to Brittany, "Grab whatever you can that won't go bad. Adi, can you help Britt find food?" She was bending down to the little girl's level. Adi nodded proudly and pulled Brittany down one of the aisles. Santana chuckled and moved to the other side of the store towards the batteries. She grabbed three flashlights with five changes of batteries for each of them. She heard Adi chattering away at Brittany a couple rows over and she chuckled to herself as she moved to the drink aisle. The cases were mostly empty except for a few bottles of liquor sitting in the back of the cooler and some cans of Coke sitting on the bottom. She smiled and pulled the case open, collecting the soda before reaching to the back and grabbing a bottle of Vodka and slipping it into the bag.

Suddenly, she heard Adi shriek from the back of the store and she ran in a panic to see what was wrong. She rounded the corner and saw Adi sitting on the floor, looking under one of the shelves.

"What is it?" Santana asked in a panic.

"I don't know! She said she saw something run under there…" Brittany kneeled down behind the little girl curiously.

"What is it Ads?" Santana asked, crouching by Brittany.

Adi didn't tear her eyes from the shelf, "I saw something fuzzy move under there!" Adi pointed excitedly. "I can see it! I can see it!"

"What is it? I can't see!" Brittany asked, also looking under the cabinet. Adi scooted closer and peered under more.

"Come here," Adi cooed, patting the tile floor in front of her. "C'mon…it's okay," she gently clicked her tongue. Suddenly, a little black paw inched out, followed by a pair of green eyes. A black kitten slowly wandered out, looking carefully at Adi, as if she were an alien.

"A kitten!" Brittany exclaimed happily as Adi picked the tiny animal up into her arms. It looked like it hadn't eaten in a long time and Santana could see that it was shaking.

"It's okay little guy," Adi pet it gently and looked proudly up at Brittany and Santana. "Can we take him with us? Please please please?" She begged, "Look how hungry he is."

Brittany looked at Santana with big blue eyes, "San…look at him…and Adi could use a companion."

Santana didn't even try to fight the two girls before here. She was easily out numbered. "Fine. Find some cat food if you can," Santana sighed, standing up. "Take good care of him Ads…he's yours, okay?"

Adi lit up, "Oh! I will! I promise! I won't let anything happen to him!"

"Good! Now c'mon, let's get those cans over there," Brittany encouraged her to get up and they continued collecting as much as they could. Finally, they loaded everything up in the trunk and took off again.

Adi fed the kitten a can of cat food and gave him some milk, which was actually powdered baby formula, but under the circumstances, was the only milk available.

"So Adi," Santana asked as they drove, "What are you gonna name him?"

"Umm…I like Shadow!"

"That's a great name Ads," Brittany smiled.

"Do you like your name Shadow?" Adi asked, petting the kitten that was now curled into her lap, purring happily.

"I think he likes it!" Santana grinned, happy that Adi had found something to keep her occupied.

…

They drove on and on, making it across the deserted border and about 14 hours and 2 cans of gas later, they pulled up to a large tunnel that went through part of one of many mountains in the area. Santana's breath hitched in her throat. Who knew what could be in there? _Who_ might be in there…waiting. She stopped the car and she stared straight ahead. Brittany looked at the tired Latina with concern in her eyes.

"San…what is it?" Brittany asked, glancing at the tunnel and then back at her.

"Something's not right…" Santana said wearily. They sat insilence for a few long moments, thankful that Adi was asleep in the back seat. Suddenly, they saw a set of head lights coming from the tunnel coming closer and closer. "Shit." Santana cursed, throwing the jeep in drive and veering off into the woods on either side of the road. She didn't know if they had driven far enough into the thick forest to be hidden, but she stopped and turned the car off.

"Beebee…what's happening?" A sleepy Adi asked, woken by the sudden bumpiness of the ride.

"Shh…stay laying down sweetie…don't make a sound," Brittany whispered looking out the back window towards the direction of the road. She could see two trucks that had stopped. Several men were getting out and looking at the tire marks that Santana surely left behind.

"Oh no…" Santana said under her breath, watching the men as well. Two of them noticed the trail into the woods and started walking towards the jeep. "Shit…shit…" Santana hissed, trying to come up with a plan.

"San…they're coming closer!" Brittany whimpered.

"G-get down…" Santana said, her voice cracking with fear. She looked at Brittany, who had not yet moved. "Get down!" She said with more force. Brittany did as she was told as Santana continued to watch as the two men, sent from their group neared closer. She could tell they had spotted the jeep by the way they started walking faster. She grabbed her gun and locked all the doors, but not before throwing a couple of blankets over Adi to hide her. She could hear their steps as they walked up on the car. One man walked up on the driver's side and one on the passenger side. Memories flashed through her mind of the day she and her mother had been captured. The man on her side gave her a nasty grin. Both men were dirty from head to toe and wearing tattered clothes. In the man closest to Santana, she could see he had a hunting knife in his hand.

"Hey Billy! I think we found us a snack!" The one by Santana's door grinned.

"You know, I think you're right!" Billy retorted, staring at Brittany with hungry eyes through her window.

Santana raised her voice, "T-take all our food…just let us go…p-please."

"We wasn't talkin' about your food…" The one with the knife licked his lips hungrily and looked at Santana like she was literally a piece of raw meat.

Her eyes widened, and she felt sick. She tried to speak, but couldn't find the breath to do so. Billiy and knife guy were just about to make a move to break into the car when suddenly, Billy screamed out in pain, gripping the back of his head. Brittany and Santna's eyes shot to the passenger side in surprise. When Billy collapsed dead, a familiar face to Santana was revealed.

"Sam?" Santana asked in disbelief as knife guy made his way around the side of the car to attack the blonde guy, but Sam was quick and countered his attacker by striking him across the face with the stone in his hand. It took knife guy out in one hit and they could already hear the yells of other men coming their way.

"Let me in!" Sam asked, tugging on the back door handle desperately as the other men neared. Santana had to think fast. Did she want to trust him.

"Santana…come on!" Brittany pleaded, "He saved us!"

Santana caved in to those eyes once more. She hit the unlock button and the door flew open and Sam scrambled inside.

"S-sam…what are you doing here? How did you…?" Santana began.

"No time to talk now, just _go_!" Sam yelled, looking back at the men running through the trees towards them. Santana pulled away just in time to weave through the trees and distance them from their attackers. Gunshots rang around them as the men opened fire on them, to no avail. She drove and drove and drove into the woods until she was sure that the men would not make chase.

"If you keep going for another five minutes, there's a cave that I found…we can camp there," Sam informed.

"Sam…how did you find me?" Santana asked.

"I knew you were headed north…and I found out my family was killed," he sighed deeply, "So I just did what you did. I followed your smoke trail from your camp fires."

"You two know eachother?" Brittany asked as they pulled up at an embankment with a small cavern in the side of the mountain.

"More like aquaintances…it's a long story," Santana sighed. Brittany nodded and looked back at Adi, who was sitting as far from Sam as possible with Shadow in her lap.

"Are you okay Ads?"

"T-that was s-scary!" Adi had tears in her eyes and Brittany motioned for her to climb into the front with her.

"I know…I know…" Brittany rubbed her back gently. Santana turned off the car and looked back at Sam.

"Thank you, Sam…that's twice you've saved my life," she thanked him genuinely.

"It's okay," he smiled softly.

"Are we going to sleep in the cave tonight?" Brittany asked. "We could set up our tent."

Sam nodded, "Okay, cool. Sounds like a plan. I have one, too, so you ladies won't be invaded by me," he chuckled.

"Thanks…so…let's set it up then," Santana nodded firmly, sliding out of the car and into the dark night air.

…

They built a small fire and ate. By that time it was the middle of the night and Adi had passed out in Britany's lap. Brittany put her to bed with Shadow sleeping soundly by her side and rejoined Sam and Santana out by the fire. She sat close to Santana and leaned her head on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Sam," Brittany said quietly. He nodded and gave a half smile.

"Of course…but you know…I think I'm going to turn in. You guys staying up a little?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think we will," Santana nodded, despite how sleepy she was. She wanted to stay up with Brittany.

"Okay, night you guys," He waved.

"Night," they both replied.

Sam retreated to his smaller tent and they were once again left alone. After a moment, Santana took Brittany's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I was so scared earlier," she whispered.

"You were brave, San," Brittany said, just as softly.

"I thought they were going to hurt you and Adi," Santana said, her voice hoarse.

Brittany felt her heart swell up at the thought of Santana wanting to protect them so much. "But we made it."

"Yeah…we did," Santana nodded. Brittany suddenly got an idea.

"Hey…do you wanna dance?" Brittany asked, standing up.

Santana quirked an eyebrow, "Dance? Right now? There's no music!" Santana retorted.

"So? We don't need it!" The blonde pulled Santana to her feet and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "See? We just sway like this…almost like making our own music."

Santana found herself blusing, feeling Brittany pressed against her. She buried her face in Brittany's neck and inhaled deeply. "This is nice," she admitted.

Brittany hummed and pulled back to look at her, "We can pretend it's all okay for a little while. When it's just us I forget for a moment that the world's ended."

Santana smiled up at the taller girl and bit her lip shyly, "Y-yeah…me too."

"And I really like that of all people left to survive with, it was you and Adi…and even Sam. But especially you. You're special," Brittany added, her hands resting on Santana's lower back.

"I'm glad I found you guys, too…You make me happy," Santana said softly.

Brittany smiled widely again and stared into Santana's eyes, "You're really beautiful, Santana…" Brittany brought a hand up to cup Santana's cheek. Santana didn't say anything as Brittany leaned down and without another word, captured her lips in a kiss. Santana sighed into Brittany and snaked her arms around the blonde's neck, pulling her closer. Their kiss was desperate and needing. Santana sucked Brittany's lower lip and whimpered when Brittany bit down on her top one. Brittany's hands pulled Santana hard against her and suddenly, Santana felt tense. She pulled back and blinked for a few seconds. Her heart raced and she felt a wave of fear wash through her. But then she realized...it's just Brittany. Brittany looked confused as Santana pulled away.

"San...what it it? I-I'm sorry i-if you didn't want that...or maybe you did...um...sorry..." Brittany apologized.

Santana's palms sweated as she tried to remember that Brittany wasn't going to hurt her. Memories of rape still flashed through her mind, no matter how comfortable Brittany made her feel. Santana quickly shook her head. "No...it's me. I um...well, you know how I told you that a gang was holding me hostage?"

Brittany stared at her intently and nodded silently.

"Well...t-they um...they abused me pretty bad...including r-rape..." Santana looked away, ashamed.

"Oh, _Santana_." Brittany hesitantly pulled the Latina into a hug. "I wish I would have known...I didn't mean to upset you."

Santana pulled back and shook her head. "Don't worry," she sniffled, "I didn't know my body would react like that. I _do_ feel comfortable with you though, Brittany...don't think it's you."

Brittany just nodded.

Santana took a deep breath and cupped Brittany's cheek, looking into her blue eyes, "And...I really like kissing you." Santana gave a small encouraging smile. "Just...we'll take it slow. Okay?"

Brittany finally smiled and nodded, "I like kissing you too, San."

So they kissed again.

….

**They kissed! Woo! Leave me a review, eh?**


	7. The Change of Plan

**Hey guys, sorry for the delayed update! I try to update when I can! Tomorrow I leave for a week to go to camp, so I won't have any internet or communication until I get back! I hope to see lots of feedback! Thanks for sticking with this!**

…

After the first kiss, Santana and Brittany kissed and kissed and kissed until they were interrupted by a rumble off in the distance. They had both pulled back and looked out into the black woods, wondering where exactly the rumble had come from. These rumbles weren't uncommon, but they didn't always happen on a daily basis, and so far into their journey, this was the first one they had heard clearly. Santana suggested they go to bed and so Brittany quietly followed her to the tent, their hands tangled together, and drifted to sleep in eachothers arms.

Come morning, Sam was the first to rouse, then Adi, and later, Santana and Brittany. They made a fire and Santana pulled out her map, trying to decide where to go knowing the danger of going back to the bridge.

"There's no way we can take the tunnel through the mountain…there has to be another way…" Santana said, almost to herself as she looked at the map carefully. Sam leaned over and took a peek at where they were. He furrowed his brow and then pointed to a route that would take them farther east than they needed. Santana pressed her lips together in frustration and sighed.

"That's the nearest way, Santana…I mean, not unless you want to backtrack twenty miles and go west…but this way will take us east around and through the mountains and we can get back on track," Sam explained.

"Damnit…" Santana hissed under her breath. Brittany frowned at Santana's frustration and placed a hand on her back in comfort.

"I mean, _with_ the detour we're only about three hours from Edmonton. We can resupply there and from there we'll be on the stretch to Alaska. We can do this…" Sam encouraged.

"San, Sam is right, we just have to stay focused and stuff…" Brittany nodded.

Santana sighed and nodded, feeling a little more at ease now that there was a plan.

…

They decided to stay at camp for a few hours to bathe in the river nearby. Each taking turns getting in so they could keep an eye on Shadow and the camp. It was _freezing_ cold, but the fresh mountain wather felt good for the five minutes they all spent in their underwear rinsing their bodies off. After, feeling the warmth of the fire was enough to make them all smile as they sat in a change of clothes.

But before too long, Santana insisted they get moving, so they put the fire out and started packing up. Adi sat and played with Shadow while Sam broke down the tents with Santana and Brittany.

"Sam, can you stay with Adi? San and I can take these to the Jeep," Brittany offered, taking the bundled up tents from him and handing one to Santana as they walked off to put them in the truck. When they got to the Jeep and out of sight from the cave. Brittany walked over and kissed Santana as she started to open the rear hatch.

Santana stopped everything she was doing and grinned at the blonde. "What was that for?"

Brittany gave a shrug and threw the tent in her hands into the trunk with the other supplies. "I've wanted to kiss you all morning."

Santana blushed and put the other tent inside and shut the hatch. "Well um...I liked kissing you last night…" She seemed to grow shy again under Brittany's stare. She was met with Brittany's giggle and another kiss to her cheek.

"I want to keep kissing you, but we should get back, silly!" And with that Brittany pulled Santana back towards the cave where Sam and Adi both sat with Shadow.

"Ready guys?" Brittany asked. Adi nodded and scooped Shadow into her arms as Sam stood with her, grabbing the last of their things as they made their way to the Jeep and climbed in. Santana in the driver's seat, Brittany riding shotgun, and Sam, Adi, and little Shadow in the back. Santana drove back to the road Sam had pointed out and started the drive to Edmonton.

As they drove along, their surroundings were becoming more and more scenic, and Brittany was captivated by the land around her and it made Santana smile to see that she had something to admire in their fucked up world.

They were about 30 minutes out of Edmonton and Santana glanced back at Sam. "Hey, check the map, will you? Figure how many hours until Anchorage." She tossed him the worn map and he unfolded it, to check their route.

"Sammy! Teach me to read a map!" Adi giggled, leaning over into his lap. Brittany smiled back at them, glad Sam was so good with her. She wondered what his family had been like. He must have had younger siblings, she speculated.

He did his best to show her how to read it as he estimated their travel time left until Anchorage. "Well…if we keep on our route, it's about 42 hours from Edmonton," Sam looked up from the map to guage Santana's reaction.

She silently nodded and kept her eyes ahead, trying to figure out how they would get the supplies they needed to make it that far. As they cautiously approached Edmonton, they found that it had clearly been deserted. Santana coasted down the main road as they all looked out the windows at the empty town.

"I always get so creeped out by ghost towns, San…" Brittany grimaced. "They're scary."

Santana nodded as Adi cuddled into Shadow and Sam in the back. "Yeah…it's so surreal, seeing everyone _gone_. Do you think everyone knows about the safe zone?"

Sam shook his head, "No way…that was military business. Only military families knew."

"I hope it's still a safe zone," Santana sighed. At her pessimistic comment, Brittany reached over and laced their fingers together.

"It _is_." There was a tone about Brittany's voice that was more sure than anything Santana had heard from her before. She gave a light squeeze and nodded, glancing Brittany's way for a moment before looking back at the road, trying to decide where to resupply in the deserted town of Edmonton.

…

They were carrying their re-filled gas cans back from a private fill station when Santana heard noise from near the car and she suddenly stopped before any of the others got a chance to see what it was. She made a motion for everyone to remain silent as they pressed their backs to the corner of the building and Santana peeked around. Her gut sank when she saw what it was.

Wolves.

They must have come from the woods in search of food or whatever. But they were big, and they were sniffing around the Jeep. She counted five of them. When she turned back to look at Brittany, Adi, and Sam, she shook her head and mouthed _wolves_ to them. Brittany's eyes widened as Santana reached for the gun that was in her coat pocket. Santana set her gas cans down softly and peeked around the corner again. As she did, she accidentally brushed the wall with the barrel of the gun and one of the dogs' ears shot up and it looked their way, a low growl forming in it's belly.

"Oh _fuck_," Santana mutters as the dogs start moving swiftly towards them. Santana moves out from behind the corner and aims at the nearest dog, pulling the trigger as a deafening _BANG_ rings out from the gun and the dog lets out a shriek and falls dead on the sidewalk. The other wolves keep coming and she fires again _BANG _and again _BANG_ and two more times _BANG BANG_, before all five dogs lay lifeless berfore her.

She glances back to Sam, Brittany, and Adi, who look at her in pure awe. Adi is crying, mostly because of the noise, and Brittany runs over, taking Santana in her arms and holding her close.

"That was so brave, San…" She whispered into raven hair. Santana held her tightly, tears welling in her eyes as she looked over Brittany's shoulder at Sam and Adi. She never thought it would be so hard to use a gun on a living being. Even if it was a pack of wild wolves. It was still somehow, one of the hardest things she'd ever done. But Brittany, Adi, and Sam were safe. And that's what counted. She took a few deep breaths and pulled back from Brittany's safe embrace, replacing the gun in her coat before picking up her gas cans and leading the other three back to the car, careful to avoid the corpses of the dogs as they moved.

They filled the truck with the gas from the cans and Brittany and Sam went back one more time to refill the gas they had used from the cans before they left.

When they got back in the car, Shadow was eager to greet Adi as Sam took the driver's seat. He had offered to drive for a while so Santana could rest. With much arguing, she finally let him.

"Tana? Can I sit in the front with Sammy?" Adi asked, "I wanna feel like a big girl!"

Santana contemplated it for a moment before nodding, "Okay…go ahead Ads." Santana nodded and they all switched seats so now it was Sam and Adi in the front while Brittany and Santana sat in the back. Sam pulled away and Santana immediately felt exhaustion take over. Brittany placed a blanket over her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as sleep took over.

…

**Sorry it wasn't very long! But I promise more when I return from camp! Thanks for reading! Leave me some feedback to come home to next week!**


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